


A Promise Kept

by captainamergirl



Category: One Life to Live
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28203435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainamergirl/pseuds/captainamergirl
Summary: Marty made an important promise to her husband Patrick on his deathbed. {Marty-centric}





	A Promise Kept

**A Promise Kept**  
  
Fat raindrops pelted the windows of the cab as it rumbled down the road. It seemed the driver, a heavyset man with a German accent, had hit every puddle and pothole on the three-mile drive from the bus station. Marty was feeling ill, her stomach all twisted up in knots, when the cabbie finally pulled to a stop in front of the large white frame house. She took a deep breath before fishing into her pocket and withdrawing the fare plus a small tip.  
  
She climbed out, lifting the small box of what was left of her worldly possessions. She then slammed the door shut with her skinny left hip and ran for the safety of the porch. Her whole life- her whole world – was behind that door. She felt scared and anxious but also awash with anticipation at seeing her little girl, finally after all this time and not behind Plexiglas either.  
  
She took another deep breath and then raised her tiny fist to rap on the door. Setting aside the box, for now, she pushed the locks of her short, curly hair behind her ears. It was wet and damp and as she looked into the glass of the windowpane beside her, she saw that she looked like a drowned rat. Her once brilliant blue eyes were dull and had lost their sparkle. Not to mention they were hooded and dark circles were rimming them. She had tried to brush on some makeup this morning but it had all washed away as she stood waiting for the taxi that had seemed to take forever to come. She was afraid she would scare her daughter looking the way she did but she couldn’t stay away from a second longer. She had literally lived for the moment she could hold her daughter in her arms again.  
  
The door opened and none other than a very pregnant Nora Buchanan stood there. Her eyes immediately flooded with tears at seeing her standing there. Marty’s did as well. “Marty, you’re back. You’re really back. I knew you were getting out soon but not today or I would have come and picked you up. Why didn’t you call?” Nora asked as she reached for Marty and tugged her inside the confines of the warm house.  
  
Marty shrugged as she embraced Nora as tightly as she dared. She pulled back and said, “I needed a moment - you know, to prepare myself for this.” Marty touched Nora’s full belly. “How are the twins?”  
  
“Making me fat – and I love every minute of it!” Nora said. “Look why don’t you sit by the fire. I’ll go get Marlowe.” Nora must have noticed the apprehension on Marty’s face because she offered her another hug. “She knows who you are, Marty. She calls you her Angel Mama.”  
  
“But you’re just Mama Nora to her,” Marty said. “She thinks of you as her mother, Nora. You’ve been raising her for the last three years when I couldn’t. Tell me I’m not selfish to come in here and take her away from you. She will hate that. You’re the one she loves.”  
  
“You’re her true mother.” A tear slid down Nora’s cheek. “I knew this day would come and I tried to prepare her as best as I could. As for me, you know I’d never begrudge you your baby girl. You made restitution; you served your time… You are the Marty I knew and loved again, just a whole lot skinnier. You have to stay awhile so Bo and I can help fatten you up.”  
  
Marty nodded. Nora waved her over near the fire blazing in the hearth. Marty watched her walk out of the room. She heard Nora calling Bo’s name. Marty’s heart hurt for Nora. She knew she loved Marlowe like a daughter. Separating them would be anything but easy. Marty didn’t feel good about doing it but she needed her baby girl. She needed her and loved her more than life itself. Patrick would want her to have their miracle baby. Even though he hadn’t lived to see his daughter be born, she suspected he was watching far above, happy that Marlowe was a happy, healthy child.  
  
Marty hadn’t known she was pregnant when Patrick died but he had promised her on his deathbed that he would always be with her somehow. Maybe he had suspected the truth long before she was given a pregnancy test behind the walls of Statesville Prison.  
  
She remembered all too well the day Marlowe Patricia Thornhart was born. It was on a rainy night, much like this one. Marty had been rushed from her private cell to the nearest hospital where she delivered within hours. Nora was there, sitting at her bedside, holding her hand and saying Patrick was proud of her, oh he was so proud of her.  
  
Marty was allowed to stay in the hospital recovering for two days and then she was returned to Statesville to serve out the remainder of her sentence. While she was at the hospital, she had constantly thought of trying to escape with Marlowe but as if the staff had expected that very thing, they put an alarm on Marlowe’s wrist band, making it impossible. And in a way, Marty wanted to do her time, face her crimes and then leave when she was much better. She didn’t want Marlowe to have to be on the run for the rest of her life. Marty didn’t want them to be scared and looking over their shoulder every moment, just waiting for the police to come and haul her away. Marlowe didn’t deserve that. She deserved so much better.  
  
Marty tried wiping away her tears now because she didn’t want to scare her little girl but the moment Marlowe came into the room, walking between Bo and Nora, holding their hands, Marty couldn’t resist the tears that fell again. They came in long rivulets running down her pale face.  
  
“Hi, Marlowe,” she whispered. “My goodness - you’ve gotten so big! What a pretty girl you are.” It was true. Marlowe seemed to have grown by leaps and bounds in the two weeks since she had seen her last. The little girl’s curly golden locks were longer, now brushing her shoulders. She stared at Marty with eyes the exact shade of her father’s.  
  
“Angel Mama?” Marlowe asked, blinking up at her. Marty wasn’t exactly sure why she called her that. Maybe because Patrick was in heaven and he was called “Angel Daddy” and maybe because Marty too had been a distant presence in Marlowe’s life thus far.  
  
“Yes,” Marty said. She approached Marlowe tentatively. “Can I ask for a hug? Just one little hug?” Marty’s voice was shaky and she was desperately afraid that Marlowe would deny her the embraces she had been hoping and dreaming about for so long. The thought of holding Marlowe again had sustained her on the very darkest days of her life behind bars.  
  
Marlowe looked up at Bo and Nora for a moment, uncertainty flashing in her soft brown eyes. Nora nodded and reached down to rub Marlowe’s little back. “It's okay, honey, you remember her. We visit here almost every weekend.”  
  
Marlowe nodded and slowly released her grip on Bo and Nora’s hands. Bo and Nora hugged each other, clung to each other really. Marty knew that this was super difficult for them. They hadn’t meant to get so attached to Marlowe but it was impossible to resist the sweet little girl.  
  
Marlowe walked over to Marty on chubby legs and held out her little arms to her mother. Marty immediately dropped to her knees on the soft, plush, cream carpet and slid her arms around her daughter. A sob threatened to escape her lips but she bit down hard on the bottom one with her teeth to hold it back. She didn’t want to scare Marlowe. She never wanted to ever hurt or scar this little girl.  
  
Marlowe wrapped her arms around Marty’s neck and she held tightly to her. Marty’s body shook a bit but she still didn’t sob. Her tears wet Marlowe’s hair though the little girl didn’t seem to mind.  
  
“I’ve missed you, little one,” Marty said. “I’ve missed you so much. I’ve wanted to hold you for so long. Every day for the past three-plus years I’ve dreamt about doing this again. It means everything to me.” Marty hadn’t expected Marlowe to understand what she was rambling about but when she pulled back to look in her eyes, she saw understanding and concern in the chocolaty depths. _She did understand._ Marlowe had longed for Marty as well. She had had a great life with Nora and Bo. They’d given her everything she could ever want or need but she loved Marty too. She knew instinctively that Marty was her mother.  
  
“Mama!” Marlowe cried and buried her little face in Marty’s damp shirt. Marty held her tightly and they cried together.


End file.
